True Love's Kiss
by Princess Pinky
Summary: This is an alternate ending to Paige's fairytale in Charmed's season five episode, "Happily Ever After," where her true love does come for her.


A/N: So I was talking with my friend Jackie today and we, being the huge P/G fans that we are, decided that conclusion to Paige's fairytale in "Happily Ever After" sucked big time and it should be rewritten. So here, my good friends, is a wonderful alternate ending to Paige's fairytale season five's third episode.

**_True Love's Kiss_**

"Hear our call, for those who fall, urge her to awaken, from this toxic taken."

Piper Halliwell stood staunchly in front of her fallen baby sister, wholeheartedly expecting the young witchlighter to awaken from her deathly sleep. Piper's teeth lightly grazed her lower pink lip as the seconds ticked by with no outward effect. "Leo?" She asked, gazing up at her husband.

Leo Wyatt bent down to the kitchen floor and pressed his soft fingers to Paige Matthews' wrist, hopefully searching for a pulse to show him that his youngest sister-in-law was still alive. Leo turned back to his wife with a sorrowful expression etched into his firm and yet, strikingly handsome, features. "I'm sorry, Piper, but there's nothing."

Piper pressed her fingers to the counter, softly drumming them in repetitive irritation. She spun around in a quick flash, causing her glossy brown hair to fan out in a halo around her head. "Grams?" She questioned, nearly pleading. "What do we do?"

The long since deceased Penelope Halliwell gazed lazily over at her youngest granddaughter as she lightly played with the thin strap of white and red checkered fabric on her apron. She shook her head, as if really not caring about the problem altogether.

"Focus on vanquishing the Evil Witch, in the hopes that it'll reverse the dark magic." The whitelighter brought himself back to his feet, but his eyes continued to slant downwards, staring at his sister-in-law. "It's our only hope," he added quietly.

In irritation, the eldest living Halliwell tapped her fingers on the table as she looked at her grandmother. "Have you finished the vanquishing potion yet?"

Penny's eyes flitted over to the potion and then her hand found its way to her mouth, stifling a yawn. As Piper moved towards the black kettle, she stepped into the younger witch's path and snatched it up. "Bad batch," she replied as she arched around her granddaughter and carried the potion to the sink, where she promptly poured it out.

Piper gawked, reaching out in protest as the potion swirled down the drain. "Grams-" The sound of the doorbell ringing cut her off and she glanced over her shoulder. "Oh for Pete's sake, who could that be?"

Penny chanced a glance at Leo. "Oh, Leo, would you be a…lamb…and see who that is?"

Leo narrowed his eyes at the deceased witch, thinking there was something definitely off about her behavior. But instead of acting on the notion, he turned and left the kitchen in quest of discovering who was at the door.

Penny's eyes settled on Piper, who was focused on gazing down at Paige. She gave a small sneer as she licked her lips and moved nearer to her granddaughter.

"Honey!"

Penny halted as Leo's surprised voice filled the kitchen. She snorted as Piper turned around and looked at her. She smiled slightly and shrugged her shoulders. "What?"

"Honey," Leo's voice called again, "you might wanna come look at this!"

"Wonderful," the eldest living Charmed One groaned. She shook her head as she made her way out of the kitchen.

Penny took a few steps over to Paige and peered over her deathly pale form. She bit her lip as she knelt down and brushed her index finger over Paige's baby soft face. "If only dead prey was as fun as the live stuff," she murmured in annoyance. "I think you'd be a fun one to go after."

----

"What?" Piper snapped as she shimmied into the living room. "What is it now?" Her eyes widened and she froze as she saw came to the door, spying seven little men standing outside all looking up at her and Leo with somber expressions.

The front and foremost little man stepped forward politely and took off his floppy cap, bowing sweetly in front of the Charmed witch. "Sorry for the intrusion, but we have reason to believe that someone here ate a poisoned apple." His head tilted slightly to the right as he gazed at Piper.

The corner of Piper's mouth twitched as she stared in awe at the little man, or dwarf, as it was obvious that he was. _But not just any dwarf_, Piper reminded herself ruefully, _one of The Dwarfs._ She chuckled bitterly to herself. _One of __The__ Seven Dwarfs._ Piper stepped up alongside her husband. "Who are you?" She questioned, already knowing the answer.

The dwarf smiled genuinely and bowed again. His hand then outstretched to the much taller woman before him. "DJ the Seventh, at your service."

Piper gawked. "DJ?"

"Why, Doc Junior, of course," DJ said matter-of-factly. "What else could it be for?" He rolled his eyes. "Doc was my great-great-great-great-great grandfather!"

Piper glanced out at the tiny men behind DJ. "And those would be?"

DJ's hand splayed out across his group of followers. "Along with Cheery, Wheezy, Crabby, Drowsy, Dumby, and," he pointed to the very last dwarf at the back of the group who seemed to be hiding, "Blushful, at your service."

Upon having his name called, a deep red blush bloomed in Blushful's cheeks and he ducked down and covered his popping red face with his little hands.

At that moment, Phoebe Halliwell came running up the driveway in glass slippers and a revealing white outside, far from that of Cinderella's. She stopped, almost tripping over herself, as she found the strange little men littering her porch. Her brown eyes lifted to Piper's. "Uhm, Piper?"

Piper tiredly waved her arm. "Follow me," she groaned.

----

Back in the kitchen, Penny heard the clitter-clatter of little feet and jumped back from the lifeless body of her granddaughter. She moved to the black kettle and grabbed a handful of a nearby herb, throwing it in and causing a plume of black smoke as Piper, Phoebe, Leo, and the Seven Dwarf Descendants entered.

"Is it supposed to do that?" Piper asked as the smoke cleared. She narrowed her eyes. "I don't remember it doing that last time."

"And last time," Penny reminded softly, "it was a bad batch." She wiggled her finger as she motioned to Paige. "Take care of tha…her, please."

DJ sauntered over to the young witch-whitelighter, surveying her closely. He smiled as he bent down and brushed a strand of dark hair from her porcelain skinned face. "You know," he grinned, glancing back at his fellow dwarfs, "she could be a dead ringer, no pun intended, for the original Miss White!"

Piper rolled her eyes. "Well isn't this just 'Snow Witch and the Seven Dwarfs.'"

Crabby snorted. "Excuse me," he growled, "but the term nowadays is Little People!"

"Yeah," Phoebe finally voiced, lightly hitting Piper's arm. "And what's wrong with you, 'Snow Whitelighter and the Seven Little People' sounds much more accurate!"

"Th-th-" Wheezy heaved several deep breaths, "-ank y-o-u."

Phoebe folded her arms, smiling proudly. Then she grabbed a chair and seated herself. "Now, what's going on again?"

Piper dropped her head into her hands, shaking it. "Paige ate the poison apple, I tried a spell to wake her up and it didn't work, and the next thing I knew…" She waves her arm at the Seven Little People. "They were at the front door."

"The descendants of the Seven Dwarfs," Leo filled in.

"And why, exactly, do they need to be here?"

Crabby snorted. "We are in the room, you know. You could address us directly."

Phoebe stared and then folded her arms. "Fine, tell me, why are you here?"

"We preserve the dead!" Cheery grinned. He patted Crabby's shoulder and Crabby promptly smacked his hand away. "Don't mind Crabby, he just takes after his great-great-great-great grandpapa!" He reached over and pinched Crabby's cheek. "He's a real love bug underneath it all, I just know it!"

Frustrated, Leo waved his arms. "Look," he turned to Phoebe, "the point is, they preserve the dead. That's just what they do. So we need to let them get their job done so we can finish ours and, hopefully, reverse this mess."

Phoebe snorted as she stood up. "Geeze, Leo, unnerved much?"

"Well I'm sorry, but we need to figure out who's behind this."

Phoebe pursed her lips. "Cole," she said bitterly.

"Not according to The Elders."

Phoebe's brows sprang up. "Excuse me?"

"Look, we don't have time for discussion." His move moved towards the attic. "You two need to be up there, trying to sort this out."

Piper nodded. "C'mon, I'd really like to get this day over with if you don't mind."\"

Relenting, Phoebe sighed. "Fine." As she followed Piper from the kitchen, with Leo at her heels and added, "But I still think it's Cole."

DJ clasped his hands together. "Okay, first things first, we'll need some glass, gold, silver, and flowers." He turned sharply to his fellow Little People and began to point. "Cheery, gold."

Cheery clapped his hand together excitedly. "Yay! I love gold!"

"Crabby, silver."

Crabby snorted. "Wonderful."

"Wheezy, gl-" DJ stopped mid-sentence, rethinking his words. He didn't want Wheezy breathing, or wheezing as the case was, on the glass all day. "Flowers."

Wheezy shuddered a breath and nodded.

"And Blushful, you get glass."

Blushful spun away, his cheeks becoming a hot red as he nodded. "O-okay," he squeaked.

"Well," DJ asked, "what are you waiting for? Go!" On his command, the Little People scattered, all except for Drowsy, who stood yawning and teetering back and forth, looking like he just drank too much Nyquil and was beginning to feel the effects.

"Well Dumby," DJ said, "I guess it's just you and me moving her then."

Dumby scratched his head lamely. His eyes moved from side to side in their sockets. "Huh?" He looked around the kitchen, confused. "Where are we?"

DJ sighed as he turned to Paige. "Well, so much for getting any help to move you." He chanced a glance at Penny, who was surveying him and Drowsy. "What about you?"

Penny snorted and motioned to her pot. "Busy, can't you tell?"

DJ rolled his eyes. "Oh, don't be so catty, it's not attractive."

Penny gasped. "Catty? Who do you think you're talking to?"

DJ looked her up and down with a somber expression. "No wolf I've ever seen."

"Well," Penelope gasped, "I never!" She stomped out of the kitchen in a huff.

----

Across town, two large suitcases were being hauled into the trunk of a bright yellow taxi cab. A man, whose face was turned away as he leaned into the back of the cab, was speaking with the driver.

"Where to? " Bernie, the cab driver, inquired. His voice was rough, like sandpaper, and he seemed to be the epitome of the classic New York cabby, with his several extra pounds, nearly bald hair and sad excuse for an oily come over, and worst of all, his Emerald City doorman mustache.

Bernie accepted the man's money as he got into the backseat. He chanced a sneak peek as the man ducked his head down, buckling his seatbelt.

"Thirteen-twenty-nine Prescott Street, " the man mumbled. He seemed to be in a type of daze.

"Sure, " Bernie said as he pulled out of the crowd and then, out of the airport. "Where ya from? " The more he talked, the more a small New York accent slipped from his words, causing the passenger to believe that he was, indeed, a former New York, New York cabby.

"Oh, " the passenger said as he waved his hand, "I live here, but I've been on vacation for the past two months. I went to see Niagara Falls. "

"Oh." Bernie took the wheel with one hand and with the other, he popped a cigarette into his mouth. "You don't mind, do ya?"

"Nope, go ahead. I'm not a stranger to it. "

Bernie snatched his lighter from the seat and lit his cigarette, before taking a long drag and then pulling it from his lips to emit a long blow of smoke. "Mhmm. "

----

Piper entered the living room to find Paige, casket and all, sitting right next to the couch. Her mouth fell open as she saw the Seven Little People sitting around the casket, all wearing bored looks on their faces, except of course, Cheery. "Wow, " she exclaimed, "you work fast! "

"We pride ourselves in our promptness, " DJ nodded.

Piper tilted her head to the side. "You don't do baby rooms by any chance, do you? "

Crabby snorted and folded his arms. "Do we look like we do baby rooms to you, lady? "

"Well, I just thought I'd ask, " Piper retorted in annoyance. "Can't you take any humor? "

"Oh, a baby! " Cheery beamed. He waved his arm in Crabby's direction. "Oh, forget him. He's just upset because his internal clock was ticking long ago and he couldn't find anyone who liked him enough to settle down. "

Piper smirked. "I wonder why. "

"When is her Prince getting here? " DJ asked suddenly, glancing down at his wrist watch.

"Prince? " Piper questioned.

"You know, " DJ grumbled, "her Handsome Prince? True love's kiss? "

"Oh, " Piper replied, "that Prince. " She waved her hand sadly. "Sorry, Paige doesn't have a boyfriend. "

"No Prince? " Cheery gasped. "But she's so pretty! "

"I-I-I'll, " Wheezy's chest heaved, "do i-t. "

With burning red cheeks, Blushful also raised his hand and slightly turned away from the group. "Me…too. "

"No! " DJ shook his hands. "Nobody will do it! You all know that it has to be a true love's kiss otherwise it won't work! "

Piper moved to the stairs and picked up Woodsman's axe that is leaning against the stairwell. She didn't notice her grandmother come in from the dining room.

Penny's eyes instantly landed on the blade and she stepped back frightfully. "What're you doing with that…sweetheart? "

"Well, I'm not gonna sit around and wait for the wolf to attack. "

"Wh-what wolf? "

"The one from 'Little Red Riding Hood,' Grams. " Piper motioned to a cherry red cloak hanging on the wall. "That," she said, "was meant for me."

"Oh! " Penny exclaimed, waving her hand dismissively. "Don't overreact, Piper. "

"Overreact? Grams, Phoebe is running around town in glass slippers and a raunchy 'Cinderella' gown while Paige is trapped in a glass box waiting for a non-existent boyfriend to kiss her. " She moved to the wall and grabbed the cloak. "I think it's safe to say that I'm not overreacting. " She started to head up the stairs.

"And what do you need the axe for? "

"To cut open the wolf! Have you forgotten all of your fairytales? "

"Oh, " Penny replied quietly, "must be that senility setting in. " She disappeared upstairs with Piper.

"D-do yo-u, " Wheezy gasped, "th-th-think she knows th-at, " he sucked for breath again, "i-s a w-ol-f? "

"Not our business, " Crabby replied unremorsefully.

At that moment, the doorbell rang.

Cheery raised his hand. "I'll get it! " He beamed, running for the front door with bounding excitement in his eyes. He reached for the door handle, which was just out of his reach. "Can someone help me? " He called.

Snorting, Crabby wobbled over to the front door and reached above Cheery's head, being just tall enough to reach the handle, and turned it.

Cheery beamed as the door opened to reveal the smiling and quite nicely tanned face of Glenn Belland. "How can I help you? "

Glenn raked his hand nervously through his spiky dark brown with bits of dark blonde highlighted hair. "Uhmm…" He nervously cleared his throat. "I'm looking for Paige Matthews-"

Cheery's eyes seemed to suddenly be aglow. "Snow White?!"

"Huh?" Glenn leaned over the Little People and peered into the house.

"Yes, yes!" DJ was suddenly there, beckoning for Glenn to follow him.

"Uhm, no offense," Glenn said, "but who are you?"

"The Seven Little People," DJ said without looking at him.

"The great-great-great-great grandchildren of the Seven Dwarfs!" Cheery gushed proudly.

Glenn's eyes shifted uneasily as the glass casket came into view. "This is a joke, right?" He smirked. "Man, even for Paige and her magic thing, this is a little crazy…" His eyes settled on the woman within the casket and then he remembered, "But she didn't know I was coming today." His face blanched. "Oh my god," he breathed, "you really are the Seven D-"

"Little People!" Crabby snapped.

"Right." Glenn leaned over the casket, staring through the crystal glass to the beauty who lay below it. Everything around him seemed to fade away as he studied her perfect, porcelain skin, dark ebony locks of hair, and her radiant, full scarlet lips.

Quietly, Blushful nudged Drowsy. His face was glowing red as he whispered, "Look, there it is! It's him."

Even through his drugged-like haze, Drowsy managed a smile as he watched Glenn carefully push open the glass top that separated him from his best friend and high school sweetheart, Paige Matthews. "Aw," he murmured, blinking his eyes in half drowsiness and half actual awe.

Dumby wrinkled his nose as he saw Glenn standing there and then, with a thump of his hand, slapped Blushful's arm. "Hey look!" He exclaimed excitedly. "I think that's her Prince!" He bit his lip as he studied Glenn. "But he don't look like no Price I've ever seen."

DJ just rolled his eyes and returned his attention to Glenn.

Glenn, now, was pressing his weight to the edge of the glass as he leaned over and into the casket, as if in a trance. He didn't really know what brought him to the Manor today. Actually, it was quite strange, really. His flight had arrived a full twenty minutes early, yet others at the airport had been delayed, allowing him easy access through to his taxi, which he seemed to get first as well. And for some reason, the idea that he must go see Paige had entered his mind and stuck.

He smiled as his lips neared Paige's. His eyes were practically glowing he was so happy, which was quite obvious to the Seven Little People around him. Then he quickly pressed his lips to Paige's beautiful red ones, saving the kiss that she did not return…at first.

Then suddenly, her pale lids slid back from her sparkling brown eyes and she awoke to the sweetness of Glenn's mouth against hers. Smiling, Paige instinctively wrapped her arms around her high school sweetheart's neck and pressed deeper into his kiss, causing him to grab the edge of the casket for support.

Cheery squealed in pure delight, bouncing up and down as he watched the beautiful display of affection. _No!_ He mentally corrected himself. _Love!_ "Isn't it beautiful?!" He gushed, smacking Crabby's arm.

Even Crabby, despite his insistence on being so frumpy, had to crack a small smile, so small that it went unnoticed by everyone. As quickly as it had come, though, it vanished and he folded his arms and slouched, glaring at the couple as they pulled out of their kiss.

Paige's dark, long stresses glowed and began to retreat into short, shoulder length hair and fade into an orange-red shade. Her white gowns also faded away, shrinking into a bright orange top and black dress pants. She stared up at Glenn with a renewed glow in her brown eyes. "Where did you come from?" She asked, grinning.

Glenn slid his arms underneath her body and carefully scooped her from the casket, cradling the whitelighter-witch to his body. "Wouldn't you like to know."

Paige wrapped her long arms around his neck and touched their lips again. "You know how much I love to hear your stories," she grinned. It was at that moment that she realized seven pairs of eyes, not including Glenn's, were on her. "And it appears we have an audience."

"Oh," Glenn smiled, "the Seven Little People."

Paige turned her head around. "Is that so?" She glanced at the casket. "So what is this? 'Snow Whitelighter'?"

"More like 'Snow Witchlighter and the Seven Little People,'" DJ said casually.

Paige gazed lovingly up at Glenn. "So what now?" She licked her lips and snuggled closer to her true love. "Do we ride off into the sunset?"

"I was thinking more like…orb off into the sunset." Glenn's eyes twinkled. "Say, Tahiti?"

"Ooh," Paige wiggled in her lover's arms. "I likey." She glanced over her shoulder and winked at the Seven Little People. "Thanks," she breathed, before flicking her gaze back to Glenn and vanishing in a swathe of glowing orbs which, to the Seven Little People, appeared more bright and surging with life than any whitelighter orbs they'd ever seen before.

Cheery breathed a sweet, contented sigh. "Halliwell Ever After."


End file.
